Frightened of Robots
by dciphoenix
Summary: You awake in a world all too familiar, confused and alone. You need to piece back your past and your memory to regain control of the present. ...making a few new friends in the process. (Will try and include as many STH characters as I can and string together enough of a story)
1. Chapter 1

Standing more than ten feet tall, the glass tube becomes your tomb, or so you think. It's so bright inside the tube, and you blink away rapidly trying to make some sense of your surroundings. It hurts. Like sand in your eyes.

Unable to rub.

The rest of the room in dark, a workshop or an experimental lab, you think to yourself.

Steam rises around you, engulfing your eyes and mouth, ears and nose. Feebly, you swat your arms through it, as if it was nothing more than a nuisance fly.

You gasp and whimper like a child, not knowing what this white mist was. Could it kill you? Would it be painful? Would you die?!

Gasses hiss still, pulling at your eyes. Your body, heavy like lead, supported no longer by your legs, instead now, by unseen forces. Your mind is torn between being lead into the deep, dreamless sleep and fighting to stay awake.

No….

But so comfy….

Why…

Hydraulic gears clunk and whir. Chug and crunch. Out of sight now but not out of mind, you're too drowsy, giddy. Blissfully numb to the world around you. You giggle absentmindedly as a metal sheet begins a descent from the top to the bottom of your perspex tube, blocking out your view from everything.

And everything's view from you.

….

You eventually wake and you find yourself on your back, whatever unseen forces that kept your upright was now gone.

How long had it been hours? Days? Weeks?!

The glass is smashed creating a unsymmetrical star in the front of the tube. You're relieved. Also scared.

Whoever destroyed this machine would more than likely be your ally wouldn't they?

Your partner in escape?

Maybe the reason you woke is the gas escaping, no longer invading your lungs and lulling you into a sleep. Or maybe you heard the smashed glass, rousing you from your slumber in an adrenaline fuelled fear.

You intake a lungful of breath, telling yourself to be brave as you step out of the tube, careful not to snag your skin on any broken glass. Your heart thumping out beats against your ribcage.

Black and yellow warning paint cover the Metal doors leading out of your prison and into the world. Where the hell in Moebius were you exactly?

You peek your head around the walls and corners on the alert for any Robots, you'd rather not chance upon any in your current situation. You were tired and your small belly grumbles annoyingly with hunger. When was the last time you had eaten?

You look down at yourself, your clothes were torn and a little ratty looking but overall you looked to be in alright shape since the last time you had seen yourself, whenever that was, although a little worse for wear perhaps.

Despite your hunger, you sprint through the metal corridors, the floors and ceilings and walls all reflective and seamless, like a tunnel or the inside of a giant robot's metallic arm.

Running for what felt like hours you came upon a set of stairs that finally started a steady incline.

Up…..

Freedom…..

You bolt up the stairs without a second thought and rush out through the doors beyond then a second set of glass doors.

The doors hiss open practically rolling out the welcome mat for the vast sprawling world beyond

Outside sprawled in every direction. A tarmac road rolled around to the left and right of you. A large acre of tress stood tall and proud, overlooking the city and main road. Usually thrumming with energy and life and people and cars. Now silent and empty.

Fields of grass and crops of corn and rape. Meadows of beautiful flowers, now dull shades of grey caught in the moonlight's pale rays.

You sprint a little.

The trees whizz by in shades of grey and green and black.

You heard for the the nearest signs of civilization, a gas station with several pumps and a ramshackle shop front.

Rain pelts down in waves, unrelenting.

When did it start raining?

You try and catch your breath, watching it forming clouds in front of your face as the bitter cold bites at your cheeks and lips, was it raining before?

When you were last here?

Where was here?

A blur darker than midnight itself zooms past your face, at first you think it's a car, an electric one perhaps, the tires splashing dirty puddles of rainwater all over you. You turn your face down to feebly wipe off the gross wetness, groaning at your miserable misfortune.

Looking back up again, is when you meet a pair of fierce ruby eyes, the very shade of rage and fire and danger and blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Who are you?" Practically bowling you over with pure force alone, this creature stands before you, a few inches taller than you. Wider in girth, too. Where did he end and where did the night begin? They both blur into one.

His eyes bore into yours, demanding an answer, sifting through to the truth.

"I….I don't know. Not really. I can't remember." When was the last time you heard your own voice? Did you always sound like that? Jeez you sounded like a child.

His eyes round slightly with a twitch of his face, muzzle downturned and brooding. A contradiction of his raging eyes. What was he thinking?

"Ironic." He says and you gape pathetically, cold and wet and in the rain, amnesia and hunger clouding your mind.

"W...what?"

"Nevermind. You shouldn't be here. It isn't safe at night. I suggest you have somewhere to go."

He doesn't look at you. At all. Like your mere presence to him was a hindrance, a bug wanting to be swat, your existence a nuisance. "I don't have anywhere to go. I don't think. I mean, I don't remember…." The rain pelts down a little harder to help your case and you gaze into the heavens. "Where am I?" You say and chills run down your spine, fearing the answer. Your sudden coldness had nothing to do with the torrent of rain.

"Mobius." He says, not unkind. And his eyes squint a little. The most amount of emotion he'd ever shown on his face in the whole conversation. He steps around you and it's when you realise he isn't holding anything in his hands. Or wearing any clothes for that matter aside from shoes and socks and gloves… he rattles off the nearest town and city. You're close to Metropolis, the next borough over. Green Hill.

Well, it certainly explains the lush greenery even if you still had little to no clue. One question down only several billion to go, right?

"I don't know if that sounds familiar. Who are you?" You ask, not quite as pathetic this time.

"I'm Shadow... Shadow the hedgehog." He says in a way that makes you almost embarrassed you didn't know. You nod as best you can, it's certainly not a name you'd forget in a hurry. Also it figures he'd be called that what with his dark spines and all.

"I might know someone that can help you. Not saying that he will, mind you." He's a little prissy saying that, like it's a great burden to pass you onto someone else. Someone better than he.

"Lead the way." You almost smile.

Behind him sits an ample motorcycle, in good condition, clean, beautiful even. The first working vehicle you had seen since you woke up in this nightmare. He climbs on it, easily.

"I suggest you hang on to the seat unless you want to go flying off the end." You follow his lead and sit aside his ride. As you grip the seat, through your fingers you can feel the cold, smooth metal underneath the leather.

He speeds though the streets of outer Metropolis. Eventually coming to a mound in the earth, almost like someone's tried to build a home out of rugged red brick, out in the sticks, away from everything. A large, heavy door, rusted from the rain, you think. Strong, important. The very home you'd come to imagine someone like him would live in.

The motorbike comes to a gradual stop, parking it underneath the slight amount of roofing adjacent to the bunker. He effortlessly hops off it and you do the same, although lacking a little of the same finesse.

He moves towards the door, in no way indicating he has a guest. He raps on the door, three times.

So he didn't live here, interesting.

A latch level with a pair of big blue eyes opens on the opposite side.

"Password." Says a young voice. Young but stern, eager to please. Joyful.

"It's me, you buffoon. Open the door. I bring a guest." He says in a way that's almost a little aggressive, the type of thing he'd say before threatening to hurt you.

The latch closes with a clank. And the door opens with another one. A flurry of yellow and white passes by the doorway and Shadow goes inside. You follow him, wordlessly, having not told to do otherwise.

Shadow rounds on another one of the inhabitants, his body, the brightest shade of blue you ever seen. His very smile made you feel cheerful somehow.

"Hey, there! I'm always happy to meet a new face! Nice to meet you." The blue Shadow says and introduces himself as Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow explains how he had found you and what you'd discussed up until meeting Sonic.

Sonic taps his chin, "Well, pal, Eggman is probably up to it, I wouldn't put it past him, but if he isn't...he probably has a hand in it." Sonic shakes your hand. "Ill have a word with him ASAP. 'till then, make yourself at home." The cheerful hedgehog then leaves, to confront this Eggman? Who's he and his does he figure into everything?

"Well. You might know more about what happened in the morning. You heard the blue blur. You can stay here tonight, there's bunk beds through there." Shadow points through a different door and moves to leave.

"Uhhhhh excuse me?!" Says a very girly voice at your side. "No, she is not! She's a girl and a girl deserves to be treated like a lady. She'll stay with me." Pink and happy, a female hedgehog fights your case with all the force of a steamroller.

"Fine." Blunt, Shadow answers her, turning his head to look back at you one last time. "Until we know what to do with her." he then leaves in a flash of strobing white light.

You open your mouth to say something, maybe to thank him for bringing you here and introducing you to these people.

"Ignore him! He has problems! My name is Amy. Amy Rose. We're gonna have so much fun together. I can't remember the last time I had a sleepover." Amy hugs you in a way that makes you feel she hugs everyone she meets. She makes you feel like everything is gonna be okay. For the first time since waking up you feel like everything is gonna be okay.

…..

Amy takes the time to blow dry and brush your hair before going to bed. You can't thank her enough for her generosity but you can't help but feel awkward.

You can't quite shake the feeling that this wasn't your home and these people weren't your family.

It takes you awhile to get comfy enough to sleep, knowing the bed wasn't yours.

When you wake, Amy gives you a dress to wear shortly after you come to. She wakes around the same time as you, saving further awkwardness about having to tiptoe around an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people.

Sonic greets you when you get to the living room. You hear him talking with the young fox again. Sonic waves you over to join the conversation.

He tells you that he couldn't find this Eggman apparently.

Sonic introduces the yellow fox as Tails. A tinkerer, and genius of most things.

Tails hands you a colour photograph of this Eggman to keep in case you ever saw him.

"He's fat and bald, tall too. You can't miss him really." He says. Tails gives you tales of his past grievances, talk of chaos and emeralds and stories of robots and clones. Your head fogs. It's all a little too much to take in. What had you stepped into exactly?!

Amy makes the gang breakfast. Pancakes with butter and syrup and crispy bacon if you want it. Shadow isn't present and your mind wanders to where he could be. You gobble down your food, thankful and hungry and it smells so good. You don't think twice to finishing your plate.

You thank Amy for cooking and she smiles at you, happy to have helped your day.

You decide it's a good idea to head to the door where you had last seen Shadow. You guess it's his bedroom. It would all be a little weird if they slept in the same room, right?

Tiptoeing into the room, you find Shadow has a lush, dark carpet and matching king size double bed as black as sin.

An oak dresser with a smiling photo of a blonde human girl. A communicator device and not much else.

You realise Shadow's room is right next door to the makeshift garage and cobbled together veranda for his bike.

You're drawn to the only way in the room, the curtains gently fluttering in the wind like the wings of a crow. Dulcet tones and hushed voices are spoken beyond.

You creep forwards, intrigued, opening the curtains with a single finger. Shadow holds a conversation with someone. In the very tone secrets are ushered in.

You peek between the parted curtains to find a snow white bat with plum coloured wings in a sassy hot pink and white outfit, cut in a way that begs for attention and would have most men drooling fools. But Shadow not once lowers his eyes...as far as you could tell... not once the whole time.

But why would he?

Would he even have thought of that manner?

You find the thought of him being intimate with anyone something short of captivating.

Then with a wiggle of her salacious figure, the bat starts to beat her wings.

Shadow simply smirks with a nod and watches her go.

Who was she? You wonder. And how does she know Shadow?

…...

Shadow turns completely around and starts to retreat back towards the bunker. Your belly throws star jumps underneath your dress at this spectacle. You practically run back into the main room, the makeshift living and dining area slash workshop, and kitchen. Doing your best not to look shiftly, though failing in all likelihood.

You try not to sweat at the nearest resident, as Amy spots you and smiles. Your heart flutters trying to relax your shoulders, aiming to be the very image of peace and serenity.

Shadow comes back in soon thereafter his face swivels from left to right. His large eyes move to yours.

Looking down at Amy's hands, you find that she's making paper chains of some jagged, two dimensional pattern and a second set of chains, made of love hearts. She seems not to have noticed your little adventure, doesn't give away any signs of it, although, somehow you felt she wouldn't tell tales even if she did. Amy hands you a sheet of pink card and a pair of scissors and asks what design you'd like to make.

Several paper chains later you find Shadow by himself later. You walk up on him. His fur is as dark as treacle even in the sunlight and his eyes are ruby red. Although in the bright light you can make out a dark line around each of his irises.

The red stripes on his fur are more noticeable and dense. You make a mental note to ponder as how he has two colours to his fur whereas both Amy and Sonic have only one. A different breed maybe?

"I wanted to thank you. For what you did." You say.

"Think nothing of it. I would have done it for anybody in peril." Wow. Gee, that's polite.

"Thanks. I think." You sit-down next to him and he makes no movement to leave or wanting to be left alone.

His large eyes move to yours without moving his face. "Do you remember anything more?"

"No." You sigh dismissively, running a hand through your quills. "I'm hoping that this eggman might be of some help."

"Hmph." He says without further issue.

"What?" You turn around to gape, mouth half open. Did you say something amiss?

"There might be another way."

Shadow produces a gem of exquisite beauty and colour, a deep emerald. Diamond cut, perfectly chiseled and just as large as his palm.

He raises the gem straight up into the air over his head. Pointing it into the clouds and the blue above. "Chaos Control!" He shouts suddenly obscured in a swirl of blue and white. Your vision skews and blurs, mixed with deep blacks and yellows. Liquid gelatinous blue and hazardous grey.

Your head thumps behind your eyes and you hold your hand to your face. "What the hell was that?! I saw you do it earlier." you groan.

You look around and find yourself in a built up area. Furnaces blowing lit smoke and steam and fire. The sky a deep grey, the land, of lack thereof completely metal and bolted together as far as the eye could see. The same warning tape as before covered most surfaces, below the railing to your side was a murky stretch of water, grey and opaque and uninviting.

The air smells of acrid chemicals. Burnt rubber and machinery, leaving a metallic taste in your mouth carried on the air. You suddenly wish to be back at Green Hill in the lush grass and trees.

He says nothing but presses the gem into your palm, weighty, vast against your fingers. Energy zings up your forearm, over your elbow and beyond. You hiss in a shaky breath, feeling like you'd downed a dozen coffees and energy drinks in one combined. Your mouth hangs open, hands shaking from the pure adrenaline thundering through your veins.

"What is…?" You mutter, lips trembling.

"What you're holding in your hands is called a Chaos Emerald. Think of them as an enhancer. Whatever you do best, these Chaos Emeralds increase that power a thousand fold and allow you to do great things."

You look down at it reflecting the sunlight, like any other precious jewel. "What do you want me to do with it?" You ask. More to yourself than him.

He smirks. His mouth still down turned, although in much less of a scowl since you had known him. "Do whatever feels natural." He practically hums.

And you gulp. "What if I break it?"

He almost smiles at that. "Trust me, you won't."

"But what if I do?" You ask.

Shadow rolls his eyes. "We have others."

You bite your lip. Inhale deeply through your nose and stand a little taller, straighter. "Chaos Control." You say, body still humming with electricity flowing through your mind, body and spirit.

Nothing happens.

"Try it again. Think of the bunker at Green Hill. Tails. Amy's cooking."

You huff and try again. "Chaos Control!" With your eyes shut this time you raise the jewel up over your head. As far as you could reach. Picturing Tails' yellow fur. Amy's savoury bacon. The sound sonic's laughter.

Nothing happens.

"Shame. Maybe this isn't your talent. Maybe it is machinery, or mallets or perhaps super speed." A shadow passes his face as he says that with a grimace. "Chaos Control is a teleportation ability. Short distances. Unless there's an exception."

"Like?" You question.

"More Chaos Emeralds. There's seven of these in total. All seven turn displays of power into invincible feats. Another of Sonic's cheery bunch guards the Master Emerald. They'll be able to tell you more about that."


End file.
